1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a system for the storage of cylindrical objects such as rolled carpet, rolled maps and posters, rolled engineer""s and architect""s drawings, wallpaper rolls, wine bottles, and the like. Most specifically, the invention is directed to a modular honeycomb-like system for the storage of rolled, laundered carpet runners or mats of the type used in many public buildings, especially in wet weather, which are laid on the floor immediately inside of entrances to absorb most of the water and pick up most of the dirt carried in from the outside. These carpet runners quickly become soiled and are then laundered and rolled for use when next needed, using rolling machines such as those of my prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,573,644 and 4,973,010. The rolled runners or mats are then stored utilizing the system of the present invention, and may be transported for distribution as needed.
2. The Prior Art
Honeycomb structures are found in nature, primarily in bee hives, wasp and hornet nests, and the like. In the patent art, storage cells of hexagonal cross-section are shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 of Loftis U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,813. The wine rack of Jacobs U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,555 has generally hexagonal cross-section cells but the top and bottom surfaces are curved to match the contour of a wine bottle.
Wieland U.S. Pat. 2,664,307 is specific to storage of rugs or carpets. Duff U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,227 is specific to storage of floor covering. In one adaptation shown in FIG. 4, the rack of Aspen U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,792 may be used for storage of rolled material, such as carpeting.
Levine U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,727 disclosures a modular wine rack comprised of a plurality of horizontal undulating unitary xe2x80x9cframesxe2x80x9d held together by spring clips.
Broadly stated, the modular storage system for cylindrical objects according to the present invention comprises an open frame in the form of a right parallelepiped comprised of a horizontal rectangular base having spaced apart parallel front and rear beams connected at their ends by parallel spaced apart side beams, a horizontal rectangular top having spaced apart parallel front and rear beams connected at their ends by parallel spaced apart side beams, and vertical standards connecting the corners of the base and top. Within this frame there are disposed a plurality of pairs of left and right face-to-face vertically extending abutting mirror image shaped shells. Each mirror image shell is formed to define a plurality of alternating inwardly facing one-half storage cells separated by oppositely facing one-half storage cells of substantially identical shape and cross-section. Each abutting pair of face-to-face shells forms a composite unit and defines a vertical row of spaced apart horizontal storage cells. Each adjacent abutting composite unit defines a vertical row of similar horizontal storage cells in staggered relation to the first row. The composite units substantially fill the space within the open frame and are supported by the frame top and base. Although the storage cells are preferably of hexagonal cross-section they may alternatively be of square cross section arrayed either horizontally or diagonally.